Imagine escaping to Palm Springs, California and staying in style at a beautiful sanctuary in the desert with amazing views of the Santa Rosa Mountains. Playing a round of championship golf, enjoying a few sets of tennis, relaxing at the swimming pool, or socializing in the lounge. Many people dream of taking peaceful, idyllic trips such as this but it’s a luxury few can afford in this economic climate and, if you can afford it, there is often too much work to do and not enough time to do it. What if I were to tell you that you can enjoy this peaceful, four star, oasis in the desert for an amazing low rate while taking patent education courses that can unlock your potential as a patent professional, help improve your practice, and allow you to network with your peers all while earning CLE credits?

You’ve got to admit, that’s hard to beat.

But it’s not impossible because, starting today, you have the chance to stay in a world-class resort in Palm Springs AND take an industry leading one-, two-, or three-day patent education course for free. That’s right, for FREE!

Patent Resources Group, in partnership with Intellogist, is pleased to offer the Patent Law in Palm Springs Sweepstakes starting August 12, 2010 and running through September 3, 2010. One (1) lucky winner will be invited to join our sponsor, Patent Resources Group, at the October 2010 Advanced Courses program in Palm Springs, California for a free one-, two-, or three-day course of their choice, including a four-night stay during the program at the world famous Renaissance Esmeralda! The Renaissance Esmeralda was featured in Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List of “World’s Best Places to Stay” and was listed as one of Travel + Leisure’s “500 Greatest Hotels in the World.” This prize package is valued at $3,000 USD and includes PRG course and hotel only. Airfare, meals, entertainment and other miscellaneous expenses are not included.

Entering is easy (update on 8/13/2010: and we’ve added a fourth way to enter–LinkedIn!), so just read on and we’ll lay out all the details for your chance to win.
There are four ways to earn entries into the sweepstakes (for a total of 4 possible entries per person):

“Like” Patent Resources Group on Facebook – Head over to the Patent Resources Group page on Facebook and click on the “Like” button. After doing so (or if you’ve already “liked” us), send an email to request@landon-ip.com letting us know! (Due to Facebook contest restrictions, we need your email so we can notify you if you win). After you’re done “liking” us, stick around and read about all the latest PRG news, events, content, and discussion of relevant IP happenings.

Follow @PRGPatentLaw on Twitter, send out a tweet about the Patent Law in Palm Springs Sweepstakes, and use the hashtag #PRGPatent – Following PRG on Twitter allows you to track the fast paced conversation in the patent realm with up to date news, links, and conversation from the IP world (including PRG’s offerings, of course). Follow us and then send a tweet about the sweepstakes using the hashtag #PRGPatent and linking to this blog post (e.g., Have you entered the #Patent Resources Group sweepstakes yet? You should! http://bit.ly/aPhfTR #PRGPatent) and you’ll earn any entry into the sweepstakes. Already follow us? Just send out the message using the link and the hashtag and we’ll enter you too! If the winner is chosen from a Twitter entry, we will contact the winner via direct message, so make sure to keep following!

Write a blog post about the Patent Law in Palm Springs Sweepstakes – All you have to do is mention the contest and link back to this blog post…get creative and surprise us! You can:

Talk about a previous experience at a PRG Course

Explain which October Advanced Course you’d like to take

Tell us what your favorite part of patent law is

…or anything else! After doing so, send an email to request@landon-ip.com with a link back to your blog letting us know so that we can contact you if you win.

Share a Status Update via LinkedIn – Share a Status Update available to everyone (see details below) mentioning this contest and using this link (http://bit.ly/aPhfTR). Much like the blog entry, get creative and surprise us! You can:

Talk about a previous experience at a PRG Course

Explain which October Advanced Course you’d like to take

Tell us what your favorite part of patent law is

…or anything else! After doing so, make sure to send an email to request@landon-ip.com with a link to your LinkedIn profile letting us know about your Status Update so that we can enter you in the sweepstakes and contact you if you win.

To make a Status Update available to everyone go to your LinkedIn Home Page and look for the text bubble (the one that reads “Share an update”) on the left-hand side of the page. You’ll need to make sure that the “visible to: anyone” option is selected prior to submitting your status:

LinkedIn Status option must be set to "visable to anyone" prior to sharing

The Patent Law in Palm Springs Sweepstakes will end on September 3, 2010. On or before September 8, 2010, we will randomly select a single winner from the pool of entries and contact that winner in the manner detailed above.

If you have any questions, just ask below. Until then, here’s some legal stuff we have to get out of the way!

———-Additional Fine Print———-
No purchase required to enter or win

1. Eligibility: Patent Law in Palm Springs Sweepstakes (the “Sweepstakes”) is open only to individuals who are legal residents of the fifty (50) United States (including the District of Columbia) and are 18 years of age or older. Employees of Landon IP, Inc., the Patent Resources Group, Inc., its advertising or promotion agencies, those involved in the production, development, implementation or handling of the Sweepstakes, any agents acting for, or on behalf of the above entities, their respective parent companies, officers, directors, subsidiaries, affiliates, licensees, service providers, prize suppliers any other person or entity associated with the Sweepstakes (collectively “Sweepstakes Entities”) and/or the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members (whether related or not) of each such employee, are not eligible. All federal, state, local and municipal laws and regulations apply. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law.

3. Agreement to Official Rules: Participation in the Sweepstakes constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which are final and binding. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.

4. Entry Period: The Sweepstakes begins on August 12, 2010 and ends on September 3, 2010. No entries will be accepted or considered past September 3, 2010.

5. Entry Submission: As noted previously, participants earn entries in one of the four ways listed below.

• Like PRG on Facebook (and notify us via email)
• Follow @PRGPatentResources on Twitter and send out a tweet about the sweepstakes using the hashtag and blog link
• Write a blog post about this contest (and notify us via email)
• Share a publicly available LinkedIn Status update about this contest (and notify us via email)

Additional details and examples of acceptable submissions can be found in the introduction above.
A participant may enter the Sweepstakes via each of the methods listed above, for a maximum total of four (4) entries.

7. Winner Selection: Winner(s) will be selected via random drawing. The odds of being selected depend on the number of eligible entries received. Potential winner(s) will be contacted via email (or Twitter, as specified above) and will be asked to provide their first and last names, age and mailing address. If a potential winner does not respond within the timeframe stated in the notification email, the Sponsor may select an alternate potential winner in his/her place at random from all entries received during the Entry Period.

8. Prize(s): One (1) winner will receive a one-, two-, or three-day course of their choice at the Patent Resources Group conference which is being held September 30-October 5 in Palm Springs, California. This includes a four-night stay at the Renaissance Esmeralda, during the program (the “Sweepstakes Prize”). Approximate retail value (ARV) of Prize: $3,000 USD. Total ARV of all Prizes to be awarded: $3,000 USD. The Prize may not be transferred, substituted or redeemed for cash, except at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. Specifics of the Prizes are in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to award a Prize of equal or greater value if advertised Prize, or a portion of the Prize is unavailable. No more than the advertised number of Prizes will be awarded.

9. General Conditions: In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Sweepstakes is impaired in any way for any reason, including, but not limited to fraud, virus, or other technical problem, the Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, either: (a) suspend the Sweepstakes to address the impairment and then resume the Sweepstakes in a manner that best conforms to the spirit of these Official Rules; or (b) award the prize at random from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment. The Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Any attempt by any person to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. The Sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. In case of a dispute as to the owner of an entry, entry will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized account holder of the screen name from which the entry is made. The authorized account holder is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.

10. Release and Limitations of Liability: By participating in the Patent Law in Palm Springs Sweepstakes, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Sweepstakes Entities from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt or use of any prize, including, but not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Sweepstakes; (b) technical errors related to computers, servers, providers, or telephone or network lines; (c) printing errors; (d) lost, late, postage-due, misdirected, or undeliverable mail; (e) errors in the administration of the Sweepstakes or the processing of entries; or (f) injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt of any prize. Entrant further agrees that in any cause of action, the Sweepstakes Entities’ liability will be limited to the cost of entering and participating in the Giveaway, and in no event shall the Sweepstakes Entities be liable for attorney’s fees. Entrant waives the right to claim any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.

11. Disputes: Except where prohibited, entrant agrees that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Sweepstakes or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, entrant’s rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Sponsors in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the Commonwealth of Virginia or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the Commonwealth of Virginia.

12. Publicity: Participation in the Patent Law in Palm Springs Sweepstakes constitutes Winner’s consent to Sponsor’s use of Winner’s name, likeness, picture, portrait, voice, opinions, biographical information and state of residence for promotional, publicity or advertising purposes worldwide in any media and on the World Wide Web, in perpetuity, without further payment, consideration, review or consent (where allowable).

13. Giveaway Results: To request the name of the winner, send a self-addressed stamped envelope, along with a note requesting the name of the winner of the Patent Law in Palm Springs Sweepstakes, to Landon IP, Inc., 1725 Jamieson Ave, Alexandria, VA, 22314. Requests must be received within 30 days of the Patent Law in Palm Springs Sweepstakes entry deadline.